Issue 1 went down to defeat August 8 in Ohio 57-43% by about a 400,000-vote difference among three million cast. The proposition would have raised requirements to amend the state constitution by initiative and referendum. Ostensibly a technical “procedural” question, everybody knew what the immediate driver behind Issue 1 was: stopping a radical pro-abortion amendment on the November 7 ballot to ensconce abortion-on-demand through birth at taxpayer expense in Ohio, while stripping away parental consent or even knowledge of a minor’s abortion.

Ohio’s unofficial election results show voters rejected Issue 1. Republicans strongly favored Issue 1 — saying it would make it harder for big money entities outside of Ohio to influence state-wide policies. Rick Perales, a Republican Greene County Commissioner, believes the legislature’s decision to put the issue on the August ballot helped defeat it. “A lot of people were angry they had to vote in August. Our elected officials said they wouldn’t have off session elections, they were too expensive and they are hugely expensive," Perales said. "Then one of...

After Ohio voters soundly defeated a ballot initiative Tuesday that was largely viewed as a proxy for abortion, the spotlight now turns to November’s abortion-rights ballot measure. Backers of the abortion-rights amendment are confident they will succeed, but they also recognize the challenge ahead; a proxy fight is not the same as the real issue. “I wish we could call it an absolute one to one proxy, but I think that this is a pretty encouraging and positive sign for everyone paying attention to the November race,” said Kelly Hall,...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohioans will likely vote on another Issue 1 in November – but it won’t impact how citizens amend the state constitution. Issue 1’s solid defeat on Tuesday – 57% to 42%, according to unofficial election results – cleared a hurdle for the abortion rights amendment slated for the November election. As the state’s first — and currently — only, statewide initiative certified to appear on the ballot, it will take the name of the proposal intended to block it from passing. Tuesday’s Issue 1 would have...

Throughout the summer, opponents of Issue 1 insisted that Ohioans of all stripes wouldn't buy what supporters were selling. It turns out they were right. While Democrats largely drove Issue 1's defeat on Tuesday, Republican strongholds across the state failed to garner enough enthusiasm for the "yes" side. A USA TODAY Network Ohio analysis of unofficial results found support for Issue 1 in all but one county in the state lagged behind support for former President Donald Trump in 2020 and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance in 2022. In some cases,...

Those who follow Ohio politics closely say the political fight to change the constitutional amendment process is far from over. TOLEDO, Ohio — With the Issue 1 ballot measure being voted down by Ohio voters, where do we go from here? Political officials say if you break down the Issue 1 vote, not only by the percentages statewide but also by how each county in Ohio voted, it shows that Issue 1 was bigger than a simple party-line issue. "The message coming out of this election is clear. Ohioans want...

Abortion-rights supporters are working to put reproductive rights directly to voters in 2024, part of an effort to boost turnout and buoy Democratic candidates after a string of state-level victories on the issue. On Tuesday, voters in Ohio overwhelmingly rejected a measure that would have made it harder to pass an initiative on the ballot in November that would enshrine abortion rights into that state’s constitution. Now, advocates are backing abortion-rights ballot initiatives in the presidential battleground of Arizona.

Ohio voters showed up in force for a special election Tuesday to defeat a Republican-led effort that would have made it more difficult to codify abortion protections, showing reproductive rights remains a galvanizing issue at the ballot box. “It’s the politicians that are the problem and not the actual people,” Maggie Olivia, an abortion rights activist with the group Abortion Action Missouri, said in an interview with Vanity Fair. Perhaps in a tacit acknowledgment of the sheer unpopularity of their antiabortion agenda, Republicans have become increasingly creative, and sneaky, in...